IFP calls for urgent aid following devastating KZN tornadoes

6 June 2024

The IFP in the KZN Legislature calls for urgent humanitarian assistance in the wake of the deadly and devastating tornadoes that ravaged different parts of KwaZulu-Natal, such as Nquthu, Maphumulo, KwaHlabisa, Newcastle, Utrecht, Ballito, and uThongathi, on Monday, 3 June.

Our hearts go out to all those affected. No one saw this coming. What has happened is not an isolated issue and should not be approached as such. Climate change cannot be ruled out, as it is not a thought or theory but a reality which is upon us. If we do not take the necessary steps and implement the plans needed to deal with this grim issue, our province and its people are doomed to a future of despair. We are of the view that climate change issues should be incorporated into all our poverty reduction and rural development strategies.

This was a tragedy, in that people lost their homes, their loved ones, their businesses, and their belongings. We still do not know for sure how many lives were lost or the full extent of the damages across the province, but we gather that the tragic incident left some parts of the province looking worse than a war zone, with at least eleven confirmed deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, seven of whom were from uThongathi.

As the IFP, we would like to commend the tireless efforts of first responders, emergency personnel, and volunteers who, after the tornado, began digging through the debris in search of survivors.

In addition, we urge everyone to follow the guidance of local officials and to continue doing everything they can to help those in need.

It is our understanding that the tornadoes hit at a time when many school children are writing their exams, and we therefore plead with school principals and governing bodies to be lenient in terms of imposing a strict dress code, given that many families lost their belongings.

As the old adage that has defined our country goes, ‘umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’. Working together, we will rebuild and recover from this unfortunate tragedy.

Issued by Les Govender, IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson for Social Development, 6 June 2024